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🚨 RED ALERT: THE COLORADO STANDOFF (TINA PETERS HEARING)
DATE: January 16, 2026
STATUS: CRITICAL - FEDERAL INTERVENTION IMMINENT
​THE SITREP:

The legal battle for Tina Peters has shifted from a courtroom defense to a full-scale Jurisdictional War. Following the January 14th appellate hearing, the State of Colorado is trying to hold the line, but the federal "Pardon Power" is crashing the gates.
​1. THE "FIRST AMENDMENT" TRAP
The appellate judges openly grilled the prosecution on the 9-year sentence.
​The Intel: Judge Craig Welling explicitly warned the State: "The court cannot punish her for her First Amendment rights."
​Translation: The trial judge used Tina's "speech" (her exposing the machines) as a justification to lock her up. The appellate court knows this is a reversible error. If they admit the sentence was political, the whole case crumbles.

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​2. THE "WHISKEY REBELLION" PRECEDENT
The legal team has deployed a historical nuke: President Washington's 1795 Pardon.
​The Argument: Washington pardoned state-level rebels to heal the nation. Her lawyers argue that Trump's December 2025 pardon of Tina Peters operates on the same frequency because she was fulfilling a Federal Duty to preserve records.
​The Conflict: Colorado refuses to recognize it, creating a "State vs. Federal" standoff not seen since the Civil War.
​3. THE FEDERAL INTERVENTION
The DOJ has officially filed a "Statement of Interest."
​The Move: The Department of Justice is investigating whether her prosecution was "oriented more toward inflicting political pain than pursuing actual justice."
​The Escalation: The Federal Bureau of Prisons attempted to assume custody of Peters to facilitate the pardon. Governor Jared Polis refused to transfer her. We are now in a "Custody Cold War."